The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-02-10


The two friends sat until a late hour
discussing the unfortunate turn affairs
had taken. and endeavOring to throw
some light on the damaging evidence
of the water-mark. but without avail.
Squire Madden had drawn up the
will himself. and had told no one the
nature Of its contents. OF course, the
witnesses to the document could be
summoned TO prove they appended
their signatures at the date it bore In
| the year 1881: but of what weight
would they be against the proof of the
water mark? They did not know
what disposition the Squire had made
of his property, and the only result of
their evidence would be to show that
in forging the will the forger had fol
lowed the date of original.
1T looks bad" the lawyer said at
length, ''and-"But just then the door
bell rang, and Miss Warner entered,
accompanied by her colored maid
Sally, and Sally's particular friend, q
good natured negro, who rejoiced in
the name of Madison johnson.
Before the gentlemen could express
their surprise, Ida few toward Gil
bert. and exclaimed, almost sobbing
with joyful excitement:
20, Gilbert, good news! You are
saved"
Ida then related a conversation which
Sally's sweetheart had overheard, but
of which he was afraid to speak. even
| to her, until he heard the remarkable
evidence of the water mark discussed
all over town. Sally recognized the
great value of Madison's evidence, and
Immediately repeated it to her mis-
tress Ida in her turn had brought
both Sally and Madison to the lawyer
with the good news. which was suffi-
cient for Mr.. Laird to say, as the little
group dispersed for the night:
The case is as good as settled now,
and thanks to you, Miss Ida, this young
| mans wedding does not seem as far off
| now as it did this morning"
When court opened next morning
the crowd was greater than on the
previous day. The whole town had
heard Of the water mark. and public
| opinion was beginning to regard Gil
bert as a villain.
The prosecuting attorney annOunc-
ed that he had no witnesses to call, as
he considered the case proved.
Mr.. Laird then arose and said:
Call Madison Johnson"
Madison took the stand tremblingly,
but he answered the lawyers questions
with promptness.
where were you on the afternoon
Of June 4th?"
AT Squire Madden's, sab"
"Doyou know James Madden?"
"Ies. sab" with look at Madden
himself, who occupied a front seat
and was listening with deep attention
to the questions.
How long have you known him 2"
''hnowd him when he was a kid,
| sab"
Now tell the court what happened
at Squire Madden's that night"
/ well, sab. | went in to see Sallie
while de white folks had gone to de
| funeral, kase Use shore she'd be lone
| some like, dere by herself. Sallie wus
q Strengthening out the library. where
| de 'Squire's desk is, an we WIS a talk
ing when Sallie looks up and seq, seq
she, There's Mr. Jim a comm back
already; we'd better get out o here
But fore We could move, he'd got de
| door part open, and Sallie seq, Mad,
you git in the chimbly closet till he
| goes away SO crowds in the closet.
Dere was another Teller with jim
Madden, an ez sOOn's Sally done gone,
he seq, in a sort O whisper:
Owe mus fin de will now, fore de
folks git back"
Il reckon dey knowed where to
look for it, for pretty soon de udder
Teller SEE. Here It's, and den dey read
it, and jim seq. with a cuss word,
He's lief it all to that snipe, MARSHALL
"'Well, les tear de old thing up
den, SEE de udder.
"'What good'll dat do us? seq jim;
It's dead sure dat critter knows de
wills here, and jest what's in it. But
I'll fix it
"'How? SEE de udder.
Den jim whispered SOS l couldn't
hear nothin' but something bout
'watah mark acid dated 1881 say
it's a forgery fix it slick
That's Ok says de udder, you'll
get de property ez sole heir an dere's
no use stealing the will"
As Madison proceeded with his mar
ration James Madden grew yisibly
excited, and when the negro mentioned
acid and put in 1881 he rose as if
to leave the room, but the Judge saw
the movement and Numbered to a tip
| trave, ARREST that man"
Not much remains to be told
James Madden who had become an
adept in the use of chemicals during
his career of crime) and his accomphce
had taken the viii and burned in the
figures .1SSf' so as to resemble
water mark, and replaced it before it
| was missed.
A close examination Of the suppos-
ed water mark clearly revealed the
deception. and Madison's evidence
was coToborated in every. particular
jim Madden was convicted and
sentenced to the penitentiary for his
bold crime, and on the same day he
entered its gloomy portals two brides
came into the Madden manson. 1t
would have been very hard to decide
which was the happiest, the stately
Mrs, Ida Marshall, who looked ike a
white lily as she leaned on the arm
Of her handsome husband and receiv-
ed the congratulations of her friends,
or the giggling, curtseying Sally, who
answered the congratulations she was
also receiving from her ebony friends,
many of whom assured her she was
very lucky to have her wedding come
on the same day as Miss Ida's
Yes. Miss Ida would have it, 'kase
she lowed dere wouldn't a bin no
weddin' in de parlor, eff dere hadn't
been one planned IN de kitchen"
WHAT TIP UE MERIT WILL DO.
Tie unprecedented sale of B0schee'S
Irer,,,r,, S,y,y,t within few wears has